Procurement:
Spare Parts and Support Equipment for Air Force C-5 Transport Aircraft
NSIAD-88-57BR: Published: May 23, 1988. Publicly Released: May 25, 1988.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the San Antonio Air Logistics Center's procurement practices to determine whether it: (1) procured spare parts for the C-5B aircraft economically and according to Air Force policies and regulations; and (2) provided the reserve units scheduled to receive the C-5A aircraft with only necessary ground support equipment.
GAO found that the Center: (1) purchased the spare parts indirectly through the prime contractor rather than directly from the parts vendors, which may have resulted in an overpayment of between $13 million and $19 million; (2) may have overobligated between $9.7 million and $30 million for the spare parts on the basis of inaccurate contractor price estimates; (3) may have purchased war reserve spare parts for the C-5B earlier than necessary; and (4) did not consolidate spare parts purchases to obtain the benefit of economical quantities. GAO also found that, since the ground units receiving C-5A aircraft for the first time requisitioned unnecessary ground support equipment, the Air Force: (1) moved up a scheduled review of ground support equipment; and (2) reduced the equipment authorized for reserve-unit use by about $2 million.
Recommendations for Executive Action
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: The Department of Defense (DOD) concurred with this recommendation. The Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) implemented AFLC Regulation 800-9, providing detailed procedures for procurement and breakout of initial spares.
Recommendation: The Secretary of the Air Force should direct the Commander, Air Logistics Command, to take steps to ensure compliance with current breakout policy concerning the procurement of initial spare parts.
Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Air Force
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: DOD concurs with this recommendation. AFLC implemented AFLC Regulation 800-9, providing detailed procedures for procurement and breakout of initial spares.
Recommendation: The Secretary of the Air Force should direct the Commander, Air Logistics Command, to take steps to ensure that spare parts are purchased directly from vendors when possible and more economical.
Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Air Force
Explore the full database of GAO's Open Recommendations
»
Feb 26, 2021
-
Defense Transportation:
DOD Can Better Leverage Existing Contested Mobility Studies and Improve TrainingGAO-21-125: Published: Feb 26, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 26, 2021.
Feb 25, 2021
-
Military Service Uniforms:
DOD Could Better Identify and Address Out-of-Pocket Cost InequitiesGAO-21-120: Published: Feb 25, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 25, 2021.
Feb 24, 2021
-
Defense Budget:
Opportunities Exist to Improve DOD's Management of Defense SpendingGAO-21-415T: Published: Feb 24, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 24, 2021.
Feb 22, 2021
-
Service Acquisitions:
DOD's Report to Congress Identifies Steps Taken to Improve Management, But Does Not Address Some Key Planning IssuesGAO-21-267R: Published: Feb 22, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 22, 2021.
Jan 21, 2021
-
Close Air Support:
Actions Needed to Enhance Friendly Force Tracking Capabilities and Fully Evaluate TrainingGAO-21-99: Published: Jan 21, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 21, 2021.
Jan 19, 2021
-
GPS Modernization:
DOD Continuing to Develop New Jam-Resistant Capability, But Widespread Use Remains Years AwayGAO-21-145: Published: Jan 19, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 19, 2021.
Jan 14, 2021
-
Columbia Class Submarine:
Delivery Hinges on Timely and Quality Materials from an Atrophied Supplier BaseGAO-21-257: Published: Jan 14, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 14, 2021. -
Department of Defense:
Actions Needed to Improve Accounting of Intradepartmental TransactionsGAO-21-84: Published: Jan 14, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 14, 2021.
Jan 12, 2021
-
DOD Critical Technologies:
Plans for Communicating, Assessing, and Overseeing Protection Efforts Should Be CompletedGAO-21-158: Published: Jan 12, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 12, 2021.
Dec 10, 2020
-
Climate Resilience:
DOD Coordinates with Communities, but Needs to Assess the Performance of Related Grant ProgramsGAO-21-46: Published: Dec 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 2020.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here